By Elvis Mukhwana
The Kenya Sugar Board visited Nzoia Sugar Company on 20th February 2025 to conduct a public participation forum with Nzoia growers on the draft sugar regulations 2025 and the sugar imports and exports regulations 2025.
This comes after the Sugar Act. No. 11 of 2024 was enacted and assented to by the President on 1st November 2024 and came to effect in on 21st November 2024. The Act provided for the development, regulation and promotion of the sugar industry, establishment, powers and functions of the Kenya Sugar Board and for the connected purposes.
Their visit to Nzoia Sugar Company was part of the process of unveiling a zero draft of new regulations that would ensure better implementation of the provisions of the Sugar Act 2024 in all sugarcane growing zones in Kenya.
During the event, Kenya Sugar Board officials explained the two regulations to the farmers and invited their comments and reservations on the same. Farmers were allowed time to interrogate and enrich the draft documents. The views and comments from the stakeholders will be incorporated in the final draft.
The regulations are currently under scrutiny by the public in sugarcane-growing regions. These proposed regulations are pivotal for the sugar industry, as the law mandates that public participation occurs before they can be officially enforced.
Once the public consultation phase is complete, KSB will consolidate the feedback gathered from farmers to refine the regulations, following the finalization of these regulations, the board will then set a date for the election of new KSB directors. Additionally, the finalized regulations will clarify how the Sugar Development Levy (SDL) will be utilized, which is critical for funding projects and initiatives within the sugar sector. This process aims to strengthen the regulatory framework governing the sugar industry, ensuring its sustainability and growth in the future by reforming the industry to enhance productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability.
The Kenya Sugar Board will conduct the sensitization programs within an itinerary of 6 days from 19th February, where they will be expected to visit 18 locations to cover the entire sugar factory region by 27th February when the program will come to a close.
